Lon Horwedel/The Ann Arbor NewsRegular-season and playoff champions of the CCHA, the University of Michigan opens NCAA Tournament play Friday in Albany, N.Y.

As expected, the University of Michigan hockey team earned the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament and the most-favorable bracket.

The Wolverines open Friday at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. with a first-round matchup Friday at 7:30 p.m. against Niagara, the No. 4-seed in the region.

No. 2 St. Cloud State and No. 3 Clarkson are the other two teams in the regional, playing Friday at 4 p.m. The regional championship is Saturday at 7 p.m.
Here's how the Wolverines reacted to their bracketing:

Michigan coach Red Berenson

Captain Kevin Porter

Senior forward Chad Kolarik

Junior defenseman Mark Mitera

Tickets in the Wolverines' section at the Times Union Center are available for purchase on Monday only from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. through the Michigan Ticket Office. They $82 each. Stop by the office or call 734-764-0247.

With no true local team in the Albany regional, plenty of tickets will be available from the arena itself all week. Visit ticketmaster.com or call 1-800-30-EVENT.